Holland leaders discuss 36-foot steel sculpture as part of public arts project

A rendering of the 36-foot steel sculpture, symbolizing diversity and unity, could soon greet motorists traveling the River Avenue bridge that connects the Holland with its neighboring townships.Courtesy

HOLLAND, MI – A 36-foot-high steel sculpture, symbolizing diversity and unity, could soon greet motorists traveling the River Avenue bridge that connects the Holland with its neighboring townships.

The sculpture, titled “Uniting Sun,” is the centerpiece of a $350,000 public art project proposed for the area around the bridge that was unveiled Thursday at the Holland Area Arts Council. If approved, the sculpture could be erected by Labor Day, said Holland businessman Jim Brooks, one of the leaders of the initiative.

Designed by Dutch artist Cyril Lixenberg, “Uniting Sun” would be located in the grassy triangle area south of the bridge where River Avenue splits to form Pine Avenue southbound.

“It’s a very sophisticated piece. Each of the vertical elements appears to be different, but they’re exactly the same length,” Brooks said. “They’re positioned in a way that as you move around the sculpture, the shape and configuration of the sculpture changes.”

The project would also include 14 “sun discs,” each 5 feet in diameter, which would be attached to upgraded street lamp posts lining the bridge. The bridge itself would be named the Unity Bridge, Brooks said.

Brooks and other local arts enthusiasts have discussed the idea of a public art project for the bridge area since the span was rebuilt in 2006 as a combined project of the Ottawa County Road Commission and the city. Lixenberg was selected from among eight artists who were invited to submit ideas for the project, three of whom showed mockups of what their sculptures would look like during public presentations at the arts council.

“We purposely tried to expose the different concepts to a very diverse group of residents, and asked them to formally write their comments on how they felt, how they interpreted the different (proposals),” Brooks said.

An additional element of the project would include local schoolchildren, who would have the opportunity to decorate precast benches with colorful handprints, to be located in Van Bragt Park, a small pocket park immediately south of the bridge. That portion would likely occur in 2015-16, Brooks said.

Arts Council executive director Lorma Freestone says the project could be the precursor to the development of a regional public art commission that would serve the city and townships.

“All along the way, we’ve had people from the city and townships involved in our deliberations,” Freestone said.

The Holland City Council is expected to get a look at the proposal during a study session next Wednesday. Holland Township and the Road Commission would also have to approve the project, Brooks said.

Funding support will consist entirely of private donations. Brooks said a number of local companies have already been approached about offering their support to the project.

“There is no intent for any public money to be expended in the process,” Brooks said.

Donations to the project may be made to the Unity Bridge Fund at the Community Foundation of the Holland-Zeeland Area, 85 East Eighth Street, Suite 110, Holland 49423.